1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dust separating apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, which draws in contaminant-laden air from a cleaning surface, separates and collects contaminants from the air, and discharges clean air.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various kinds of dust separating apparatuses. Recently, a cyclone-type dust separating apparatus has been widely used, which is convenient and can be used semi-permanently, compared to a dust separating apparatus employing a traditional disposable dust bag or dust filter. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canister type vacuum cleaner employing a cyclone-type dust separating apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, a vacuum cleaner 10 is shown, generally comprising a cleaner body 11 having a motor driving chamber 12 with a motor (not shown) and a mounting chamber 13 in which a dust separating apparatus 30 is mounted, a suction nozzle 21, an extension pipe 22, and a flexible hose 23. The vacuum cleaner 10 drives the motor (not shown) to generate a suction force, and draws contaminant-laden air from a cleaning surface through the suction nozzle 21, the extension pipe 22, and the flexible hose 23 into the cleaner body 11. The vacuum cleaner 10 uses the dust separating apparatus 30 to separate and collect dust or contaminants (hereinafter, contaminants) from drawn-in air and discharges the air removed of contaminants via the motor driving chamber 12 to the outside.
The cyclone-type dust separating apparatus 30 forms a rotative stream that separates the contaminants from the drawn-in air by centrifugal force. The cyclone-type dust separating apparatus 30 generally has a cylindrical cyclone body 31 to contain the rotative stream, an air inlet 33 and an air outlet (not shown) at an upper portion of the cyclone body 31. The air inlet 33 is fluidly communicated with flexible hose 23 via an inlet port 14, and the air outlet (not shown) is fluidly communicated with motor driving chamber 12 via an outlet port 15. A contaminant receptacle 32 for collecting the contaminant separated from the drawn-in air in the cyclone body 31 is engaged with a bottom portion of the cyclone body 31, and is also cylindrical to correspond to the cyclone body 31. In other words, the conventional dust separating apparatus 30 is generally cylindrical.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting chamber 13 includes a dead space S that is formed surrounding an area where the dust separating apparatus 30 is mounted. In the cleaner body 11, generally, the motor driving chamber 12 is substantially rectangular and the mounting chamber 13 engaged with the motor driving chamber 12 is substantially semicircular. Due to the cylindrical dust separating apparatus 30, a structural problem occurs: the creation of dead space S in the mounting chamber 13 can not be avoided. Additionally, the contaminant receptacle 32 can not be manufactured over a certain height due to the limited height of the dust separating apparatus 30 mounted in the mounting chamber 13. Because the height of the contaminant receptacle 32 is limited, the capacity of dust separation apparatus is also limited.